Improvement in stairs



J. Y. STEWART & me. CONWELL.

STAIR. No.17 Z,83'O. gamma Feb.1,1876

INVENTDRE N-PETERS, PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTO D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

JAMES Y. STEWART EDWARD Gr. CONWELL OF DOVER, DELAWARE.

IMPROVEMENT IN STAIRS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 172,830, dated February 1 1876; application filed January 17, 1876.

room-for instance, in a store, where it is.-de-' sirable'to have a flight of stairs to ascend to the floor above, and yet, when fixed or stationary, as they are usually constructed, they may take up much valuable space; and the intention of our invention is to obviate this difficulty, which is accomplished by hinging the stairs to the floor or ceiling next above the store-room, so that when not in use they can be raised up out of the way. V

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a perspective view, and Fig. 2 a vertical section.

A represents the stairs or steps, the upper end of which is hinged to the underside of the second floor.

I Near the lower end of the stairs are attached cords B B, which extend upward and over pulleys in the second floor, and on their other ends are weights D D, of sufficient heft to hold be used, such as are sometimes used on doors, which will wind the cords around them.

' The position of the stairs when required for use is shown in Fig. l and by dotted lines in Fig. 2, and when-they are not needed they can be raised into theopening in the second floor, as shown in Fig. 2, and are held there by the weights D D; or on the lower end'of the steps there may be a spring-bolt, which will hold them up, and attached to which is a cord that will not only serve to withdraw the bolt, but to draw down the stairs when wanted for use. We claim as our invention-- 1 The combination of the stairs A, cords B B, pulleys ,O G, and weights D D, or their equivalent, when constructed and arranged substantially as described.

J. Y. STEWART. EDWD. G. OONWELL.

Witnesses:

G. A. 0. SMITH, A. V. RoBINsoN. 

